Chapter 11: 11 Business Trip 2

“Nana, this is what your auntie and uncle prepared for you. It’s cold up north. You’re heading to the countryside right when the spring plowing starts; it’s going to be hard work. Make sure you eat and drink well—nothing is more important than your health...”

Ma Xiumei nagged incessantly, fussing over Zhou Xiuna exactly as if she were her own daughter.

Zhou Xiuna couldn't help but feel her eyes redden.

Ever since her mother passed away, she hadn't heard such caring words in a very long time.

“Mom~ stop nagging, her train is already starting ticket inspections.”

Song Suisui checked her watch and couldn't help but interrupt her mother's rambling.

On the surface, Zhou Xiuna carried very little luggage. Ever since she learned which commune she was being sent to, she had already asked Tan Kai to help her prepare some supplies for the countryside and had mailed them two days in advance.

Thus, today she was only wearing a single set of well-worn, faded clothes and carrying a small bundle of daily necessities.

When she left today, everyone living near the machinery factory saw her.

The Zhou family was going to be the subject of gossip for a while.

Moreover, if she wasn't having a hard time, the Zhou family wouldn't have it easy either; she had reported both her stepmother's "good son" and "good daughter" for placement in the countryside.

And the place she chose was the most remote and harsh region—the Great Northwest!

As for whether her scummy father would scold her later, she didn't care at all.

Could he really make a trip all the way to the Northeast himself?

Even if he could, would she just stand there and take a beating?

If Song Suisui knew about Zhou Xiuna's actions and thoughts, she would be even more certain that Zhou Xiuna was the female lead of some period novel she hadn't read.

This personality was just too badass!

Because Zhou Xiuna brought so little, she managed to earn even more of Ma Xiumei's sympathetic tears.

When she saw the large package the Song family had prepared for her, Zhou Xiuna burst into tears.

“What are you crying for?” Song Suisui pulled her into a hug and comforted her. “Don't look at how big the package is; it's actually just quilts and some small miscellaneous items. It's not heavy.”

Despite the tight schedule, Ma Xiumei had used her connections built up over many years to scrape together one thick cotton quilt weighing eight catties and one thin cotton quilt weighing four catties before Zhou Xiuna left.

In addition to the quilts, there was a set of thick cotton padded jackets. Although the north was starting to warm up and thick jackets wouldn't be needed immediately, they could be worn in the winter.

Since there wasn't enough time for more clothes, Ma Xiumei had also stuffed the new clothes she had made for Song Suisui and Song Niannian into the package.

The other miscellaneous items were too numerous to list; Zhou Xiuna could unpack and look through them slowly herself.

Zhou Xiuna was deeply moved and, at the same time, very grateful to the Song family.

Since this package was prepared for her by Auntie Xiumei, she wouldn't refuse it.

However, Zhou Xiuna swore in her heart that she would remember the kindness of the Song family.

She would definitely find an opportunity to repay them in the future.

Because she hadn't bought a platform ticket, Ma Xiumei didn't escort Zhou Xiuna all the way into the station.

Song Suisui had a train ticket, and it was for the very next departure after Zhou Xiuna's.

After explaining the situation to the station staff, they agreed to let Song Suisui see Zhou Xiuna off onto the train.

For this business trip, Song Suisui carried a large, army-green backpack.

She had actually pulled this bag from a gacha draw last night.

Inside, she only had two sets of change of clothes and a few small items for the road.

In any case, she preferred to travel light when going out.

After seeing Zhou Xiuna off, Song Suisui waited on the platform for a while until her train slowly pulled into the station.

When machinery factory purchasers went on business trips, they were usually given sleeper tickets because these could be reimbursed. Some purchasers would even swap tickets with others to earn a price difference.

But Song Suisui certainly wouldn't mistreat herself; she had no intention of swapping tickets.

If possible, she would have even preferred to swap for a soft sleeper.

The terminus for this train was the Imperial Capital, and Xinghai City was just a transit station. By the time Song Suisui boarded the sleeper carriage, it was already quite crowded.

Her berth was a middle berth, and since no one had touched it, she was quite satisfied.

Though Song Suisui was not yet sixteen and still had a youthful face, the members of the Song family were all quite tall, so she was naturally not short either, standing at about 160cm.

In this era, a girl who was 160cm was already considered tall, but Song Suisui still wanted to grow even taller.

Because of her height, the people in the carriage didn't perceive her as a child.

In truth, Song Suisui didn't have a "baby face"; because she possessed extra memories, her way of doing things and speaking was quite mature, which gave her the aura of an adult.

Opposite Song Suisui's berth was a pale young man who only opened his eyes when she climbed into her bunk, and then closed them again.

As for the lower berth, there was a man and a woman who looked somewhat similar; they were likely siblings.

The two in the upper berths stayed lying down without much movement, so Song Suisui basically didn't encounter any overly enthusiastic people.

But that was fine; she wasn't quite used to the enthusiasm of strangers.

It took only one day and one night to travel from Xinghai City to the Capital.

On her first business trip, Song Suisui's journey went smoothly, and she didn't encounter any of the "extreme" passengers she had read about in period novels.

Although the Capital Railway Station in 1973 was not as prosperous or beautiful as those in the future, it was still one of the best buildings of this era.

It was a pity she didn't have a camera; otherwise, she could have taken some photos for keeps.

She arrived in the Capital after five in the afternoon. At this hour, the steel factory would be about to get off work, so she simply went to a guesthouse near the railway station to check into a room and handle her business the next day.

“Sister, this is my first time coming to the Capital. Is there anything delicious to eat here?”

The middle-aged woman helping Song Suisui with her check-in couldn't help but feel overjoyed when she heard her call her "sister."

“Little girl, you've asked the right person! Let me tell you, when you come to the Capital, you must try the Capital Roast Duck...”

The woman enthusiastically introduced many shops to Song Suisui. After committing some of them to memory, Song Suisui reached into her pocket, grabbed a handful of fruit candies, and stuffed them into the woman's hand.

“Thank you, sister. Here, some candy to sweeten your mouth.”

“Oh my, this is so embarrassing.” The woman declined a few times out of politeness, but eventually accepted the candy with a beaming smile.

Song Suisui went back to her room to drop off her bag, then set out to find food with only a small shoulder bag.

She hadn't eaten well during the day and night on the train.

She had just asked the lady at the guesthouse, and there happened to be a state-run restaurant nearby.

Upon arriving at the restaurant, Song Suisui didn't even need to ask the waiter; she could just look at the blackboard.

“Sister, I'll have one portion of braised pork, one portion of stir-fried potatoes, and two liangs of rice.”

The waiter kindly calculated the cost and the food coupons for her. Then, Song Suisui paid, took her slip, and found a seat to wait for her meal.

At this hour, there weren't many people in the state-run restaurant. People were sitting in small groups of two or three, leaving her to occupy a table all by herself.

“Hello, may I sit here?”

Song Suisui looked up to see a boy who looked quite like a "refined scoundrel" asking her with a smile.

“You may. Please, go ahead,” Song Suisui said indifferently.

Although her tone was indifferent, her heart was screaming wildly like a squealing chicken.

*Ah!!! Where did this little brother come from? He's even more handsome than my former idols!*

*Those peach-blossom eyes, and those rimless glasses... that overwhelming "refined scoundrel" vibe, who understands?!*

*Sigh... drool...*

Qin Mulin glanced at Song Suisui and nodded with a smile. "You don't look like you're from the Capital."

"No."

Even though the other party was a handsome guy, Song Suisui hadn't been so blinded by beauty that she would reveal her specific circumstances to a stranger.